As I stepped off the bus and arrived at the recruitment base in Nitzanim for 0.2 basic training, I sensed that I was entering an entirely new chapter of my life as a soldier, but this wasn’t just about becoming a soldier in the IDF or wearing a uniform for the first time, it was due to the fact I wasn't born here in Israel and my background was different compared to all the other girls standing beside me in basic training.

Here's a bit of background: My name is Sienna. I was born in England and made Aliyah to Israel in with my family. I was raised with a deep love for the country, always knowing I would serve in the IDF. At home, we spoke only English, and throughout my education in elementary, middle, and high school, I was in classes exclusively with other Olim, which meant I rarely had the opportunity to practice Hebrew.

On my first day as an official soldier, I was surrounded by Hebrew, with no familiar English words in sight! At the beginning, I felt nervous, thinking that basic training would be more challenging for me than for the other girls. However, everything changed after my conversation with my commander.

On just the second day of basic training, we had a one-on-one meeting (an initial step every soldier goes through to allow the commander to get to know them on a deeper leveI.) I shared with her my struggles with Hebrew, and to my surprise, she immediately offered me a Hebrew NCO.

So, what is a Hebrew NCO? During basic training, we participate in numerous theoretical and practical classes, while learning about the content and values of the IDF and including the rifleman lessons. The Hebrew NCO repeats and clarifies the material after each class, explaining it in detail until everything is clear. What made it even better was that the NCO also spoke English, which really helped me with understanding the content. This NCO role, for me, turned out to be extremely useful and helped me keep up with the other soldiers during basic training.

If you think Hebrew could be a barrier for basic training, think again! My Hebrew NCO was available for anyone to assist with every question, I learned that asking for help was welcomed and in fact it’s great to have so much support from even the Commander or other fellow soldiers.

By the end of basic training, I had adjusted to an environment of Hebrew speakers and most importantly, had made new friends. This experience was transformative as I finally broke out of my English-speaking bubble. I am proud to have completed my basic training experience alongside the other girls.